Experience tells me that things written in one session like this need extra editing and maybe a rewrite, but I'm committing to posting before the 21st. I ended up writing it using the opening page of an attempt at a Halloween story. That's why you never throw out failed stories.

I have an idea for the 25th anniversary story contest. The problem for me is that it will mean writing twenty or more characters. I don't like writing "spear carriers". I try to have some feeling of every person in the story even if it isn't obvious (Did anyone catch the leather biker's "craft" magazine in The Worst Day?). I'm afraid of having four people and a bunch of cutouts. That's the kind of story I have trouble finishing. How do any of you deal with making secondary characters real?

For those like me who have been looking at a lot of best books lists in hope of finding something new, especially anyone looking at best fantasies. Most of them do get around to mentioning Tolkein eventually( He should be at the top) but I've seen no mention of what I think is the second best fantasy epic of the last century. Guy Kay Gavriel's Fionaver Tapestry. He draws together a vast range of folklore from across Europe in one masterful story. There is no trans content but has everything else you could want in a fantasy tale.

I just finished reading Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I hadn't read anything else by the author and chose it almost at random from the available titles at the library. She does a remarkable job of combining the true history of the greatest race horse of the nineteenth century with her fictional tale of slavery and of racism then and now. While referencing physical abuse and family separations she brings home the truth of Frederick Douglas's explanation of the harm of slavery even under a "good" master.

I must be one real sicko. We got a wet heavy snowfall that just gummed up my snowblower without clearing anything. As a result I put in two sessions of heavy shoveling and have a lot to go. The sick part is that I found myself hearing the ballad of John Henry (too winded to sing if I could sing) with the words "die with my hammer in my hand" replaced with "die with my shovel in my hand". I figured I had better come in here and erase some things on this computer first!

I live in a very conservative area but other than a nearby school district banning the Harry Potter books for witchcraft some years ago it has been quiet since the days when James Dobson's minions picketed the local bookstore in the eighties. I bought my only copy of "Hustler" just so I could walk out past them with it out of the bag. Now the local schoolboard has overruled the professionals to remove "Genderqueer" from the high school library bookshelves by a 4 to 3 vote. Only one of the four is currently up for re-election.

I wish I could write a story I felt was half as good as Lord Dunsany's SWORD OF WELLERAN. Does anyone else have a candidate for the perfect short story? I could use some reading suggestions.

I forwarded an obituary to my brother today as he no longer lives in our home town. His former brother-in-law had died and I thought he might want to send a card. He e-mailed me back that it wouldn't be welcomed. It seems that even in death his family refuses to recognize him. When police contacted people with his last name they got no response except from a another former in-law. I don't blame them for avoiding him in life. He was an addict, a thief and a child abuser. What is disturbing to me is that I know they once loved him.

There is an apparent shortage of men's underwear. I have been waiting for the back to school sales to pick up a few basics. One store recently had a twenty-five percent off sale on underwear for the family. I could not find any men's briefs in any size but extra large. Not to worry, I had to got to Wal-Mart this week and they usually have back to school sales. I couldn't find a single pair of plain men's briefs. Just across the aisle though was a big display of ten packs of women's panties. There's your excuse; just go with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZJvBfoHDk0

I'm not a fan of the show but this woman is amazing. I wish I had half of her strength.

They Just don’t Understand

I’m astounded by all of this talk of thousands of dead people voting. They clearly don’t know what it would take for that to happen. I know because I got a dead person to vote. One person!

Being very concerned about this election I decided to help the cause by raising the dead to vote. I chose a well know union organizer and democratic stalwart as my first voter. After much research I was confidant I had the right incantations learned. I just needed a pure black cockerel to sacrifice at midnight on the dark of the moon.

Last night charter internet's free anti viral program f-secure loaded something called security extension on my computer. It needs to be activated. Do I want to do that and why? As far as I can understand the little they say about it it is an electronic nanny but there is little plain English information available .

I've done a lot of reading since the library was closed, both on line and e-books through their web site, but it just doesn't feel the same. I went through it before a couple years ago when my arthritis wouldn't let me handle a real book and I'm very glad to have the other options. It's just that I actually found myself looking at the trash in the grocery store paperback rack. I'm jonesing bad for a good book in my hand.

I was thinking about how Erin manages to keep this place civilized despite the same political divide that exists in the rest of the world. That's what we need in Washington to break the politcal gridlock. We need to start a new party, the keep it friendly party.

I just finished a novel about a family with a transgender child that I don't recall seeing mentioned here. THIS IS HOW IT ALWAYS IS by Laurie Frankel is well written and realistic. I enjoyed it and I think many of you would too.

I've seen a lot of postings here about how much anyone can learn about us on the internet. What makes me question just how much research is really being done is things like getting fund raising letters from both the Republican and Demacratic parties in the last few days. Obviously one of them has it wrong unles I'm even more mixed up than I thought. And obviously neither one has access to my bank records. Or maybe they just didn't ask google.

It's just too beautiful not to share:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5qdfTIrOw8

The music starts at 8 minutes

This has nothing to do with TG fiction and may anger some people but having written it I had to do something with it